Neela Nira Sooriyan Movie Review : Samyuktha's restraint and realism shine through

Neela Nira Sooriyan Movie Synopsis: Samyuktha Vijayan’s Neela Nira Sooriyan is a moving exploration of identity and courage, wrapped in the story of a small-town South Indian schoolteacher named Aravind. Set in a conservative community, the film takes us through Aravind’s journey as he steps into his true self, Bhanu, while coping with the challenges of transitioning within a traditional social fabric. The movie is good because it shows real struggles and relationships.

Neela Nira Sooriyan Movie Review: The plot begins with Aravind (Samyuktha Vijayan), an unassuming high school teacher, who spends his days caught in routine until he takes the brave step of beginning hormone therapy. Soon, Aravind fully embraces his identity as Bhanu, with the support of his close friend Haritha (Haritha). The transition, however, is far from simple. Bhanu faces multiple roadblocks—from her family, who are determined to arrange a marriage for Aravind, to her school administration, which sees Bhanu not as a teacher but as a problem to be contained. The conflict escalates when a non-binary student, Karthik (Masanth), also starts challenging societal norms, creating ripples that the administration blames on Bhanu.

Samyuktha Vijayan, who plays both Aravind and Bhanu, delivers a performance that is tender and restrained. The way she shows Bhanu’s happiness when she gets her first women’s shoes or how she handles discrimination really adds emotion to the film. You can tell Samyuktha’s character feels real because she writes from personal experience. How she has concluded the narrative is laudable.

The movie’s small town setting is essential for it to work. The school’s gross restroom, so far away, really shows how alone Bhanu is and all the rubbish she has to deal with. Samyuktha herself said that the film shows how important location, social support, and financial stability are for a transgender person’s journey. Bhanu’s struggles highlight what happens when any of these factors are missing.

The school’s correspondent doesn’t really care about Bhanu. They just want to exploit her story for good press. But, through it all, Bhanu’s journey is about accepting themselves and staying strong. This theme extends into her relationship with Karthik, the young student who also refuses to fit into predefined gender roles. This subplot needs more work, and her approach to dealing with Karthik’s bullies is a bit too bold. Anyone who’s graduated high school knows that rebelling and complaining to authorities just makes things worse - being a bit tactful goes a long way.

The supporting cast including Haritha, Geetha Kailasam, Kitty and Manimekalai though appear briefly chip in their bit.

The camera work is like a documentary, and the mostly still camera captures life as it happens. There aren’t many distracting backgrounds, so you can focus on the story. Neela Nira Sooriyan is a solid entrant in the Indie film category.

Written By: Abhinav Subramaniam